Abstract
ObjectiveTo examine body image perception and the associations of body dissatisfaction (BD) with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors among Saudi women attending fitness centers in Riyadh.MethodsSaudi females aged 16 years and older were recruited from 12 randomly selected fitness centers in Riyadh, using stratified clustered sampling technique (n = 460). Height and weight were measured to calculate actual body mass index (BMI). A previously validated instrument was used to collect socio-demographic and lifestyle variables including physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviors, sleep and dietary habits. Stunkard Figure Rating Scale silhouettes were used to assess perceived and desired body shape.ResultsThe participants had a mean (SD) age of 29.2 (8.2). The majority were not married (57%), with no children (66%) and had college degrees (78%). While 63% were overweight or obese, nearly 40% of women underestimated their perceived body shape. The majority of respondents (87%) were dissatisfied with their body shape including 68% of normal weight women. Females who had BD were significantly older, had higher BMI, reported more weight loss attempt and had expended less time in vigorous (p = 0.033) and total (p = 0.042) PA than those who were satisfied with their body shape. However, when adjusting for socio-demographic variables, logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations of BD with higher BMI, shorter membership duration of fitness club, and reduced dairy products and energy drinks consumption.ConclusionExcept for BMI and decreased dairy products and energy drinks consumption, many lifestyle behaviors did not associate with BD among Saudi females attending fitness centers. The findings can inform healthcare providers when intervention strategy is implicated for females with BD. Future studies should compare the associations of BD with lifestyle behaviors between males and females attending fitness centers and seeking weight loss.
Highlights
The escalating public health concerns relating to obesity and its associated health consequences have led to a plethora of interventions designed to address the growing risk factors of physical inactivity, malnutrition, and eating disorders
body dissatisfaction (BD) is a component of the attitudinal dimension and refers to an undesirable subjective assessment of one’s body often described as when desired body image (BI) does not match with the perceived BI
This is a difference of 18.4%, while the difference between the actual body mass index (BMI) and BMI corresponding to perceived BI score was 7.9%
Summary
The escalating public health concerns relating to obesity and its associated health consequences have led to a plethora of interventions designed to address the growing risk factors of physical inactivity, malnutrition, and eating disorders. These interventions include strategies to affect positive behavioral changes using both conscious, decision-based models as well as models that address non-conscious processes (Rejeski and Fanning, 2019). The effectiveness of such programs is often moderated by a number of variables including psychosocial, biological and environmental factors (Rejeski and Fanning, 2019). BD is a component of the attitudinal dimension and refers to an undesirable subjective assessment of one’s body often described as when desired BI does not match with the perceived BI
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